Relationship between Self-care Agency and Quality of Life Among Cancer Patients Undergoing Outpatient ChemotherapyRelationship between Self-care Agency and Quality of Life Among Cancer Patients Undergoing Outpatient ChemotherapyAN10585677

Purpose/Objectives:The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the relationship between self-care agency andquality of life (QOL) in cancer patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy. Design: The study used a correlationalresearch design with cancer patients undergoing outpatient chemotherapy at a medical facility. M ethods:The subjects of the study were cancer patients from Facility A undergoing outpatient chemotherapy. A self-reportsurvey form was distributed to subjects and responses were returned by mail. The main variables of interestconsisted of(1)Honjo’s(2001)SCAQ to test chronic patients’self-care agency and (2)Cella’s(1993)FACT-G forQOL. Findings:The average age of subjects was 58.4, and the leading cancer types were breast cancer (38％) andlymphoma malignum (20％). The mean score(±SD) for each scale was 124.02± 13.56 on the SCAQ and 72.91±17.04 on the FACT-G. A significant correlation was found between the scores on these two scales (r＝.245, p.05). Conclusions: People with greater self-care agency have a higher level of QOL. The results suggest theimportance of nurses’support in helping to cultivate patients’self-care agency.